The recent windstorm caused damage to my home and my car: am I covered?
Likely! Rest assured. Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of basic home insurance policies cover property damage caused by many natural disasters, such as lightning, tornado, hail, high winds and other unpredictable weather events. However, conditions, restrictions and exclusions may apply, please refer to your insurance policy or speak to your broker.
Damage to your vehicle caused by strong winds or tornadoes will typically be covered if you have purchased “All perils”, “Comprehensive”, or “Specified perils” coverage on your auto insurance policy, which is the case for most of the policies purchased in Quebec.
What to do if your property is damaged from a windstorm
- Contact your insurer to make a claim as soon as possible.
- If your residence poses no danger to you and your family, clean the affected areas and items exposed to water damage, to prevent further damage to your home from worsening.
- Keep property that has been damaged until a claims adjuster assesses the damage.
- Keep invoices and any supporting documents for expenses incurred.
- Take pictures or videos to document your claim file.
What is covered under your home insurance?
- Building
- Personal property (content)
- Detached private structures (swing, garden furniture, shed, fence)
- Pool and spa – to the condition you have purchased the additional coverage “pool and spa”
- Debris removal expenses
Your insurance policy also covers food spoiled from power outages, up to a certain amount. Keep the evidence and take pictures.
Here are some examples of things that wouldn’t be covered: tree uprooting, vegetable garden, tomato plants
What to do if your vehicle is damaged from a windstorm
- Contact your insurer as soon as possible to make a claim. Your insurer will advise you what to do to have your vehicle repaired and recommend a repair shop to assess damages to the vehicle.
- If your vehicle is insured with Aviva, go to Aviva.ca to find a recommended repair shop near you that will assess the damage.
- Take photos or videos to document the damage to your vehicle.
If your home and auto are insured with Aviva, you will only have to make one phone call to start a claim for your home and your vehicle. For example, after you open your home insurance claim with us, the home insurance claims representative can transfer you directly to an auto insurance claims representative to start your auto claim.
What about the deductibles?
The deductible is the portion of the claim that you pay and will be applied to the total amount you receive from us for the loss to settle the claim. If the windstorm caused damage to your home and vehicle, and they are both insured with Aviva, only one deductible (the higher one) will be applied to your claims.
If you don’t have both of your home and auto insurance with Aviva, and the windstorm caused damage to your home and auto, two deductibles will be deducted from the total amount you receive from the insurers for the loss to settle the claims : your home insurer will deduct one and your auto insurer will deduct the other.
Should you make a claim?
As storms become more frequent and widespread, more and more people are experiencing property damage to their homes. Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether filing a claim is worth it or if it is more economical to have something repaired without getting insurance involved. While you should never hesitate to reach out to your broker to discuss, here are a few things to consider.
Sources :
Newswire.ca - Tornadoes and high winds: insurance policies cover the damage, August 2017
Chad (in French only)
The content in this article is for information purposes only and is not intended to be relied upon as professional or expert advice. Aviva and the Aviva logo are trademarks of Aviva plc. and are used under licence by Aviva Canada Inc. and its subsidiary companies.